Living In A Troubled House
by Horrific Nerd
Summary: Modern AU, college, but in a universe where there's still Disney Magic. Elsa is Anna's charge, and the two sisters find themselves attending an ordinary college while living in a rather extraordinary house. Rated M for later chapters. Incestuous Elsanna [Elsa/Anna] among other pairings. DL;DR.
1. Chapter 1: A Troubled House

**A/N:** Hello kiddies! Well, I caved and started an AU Frozen fanfic. Mostly Frozen. Expect to see TONS of other Disney characters too. Just to get things out of the way, yes this is Elsanna (mainly, there will be other pairings that do not include Elsa nor Anna as well), and is rated M for later chapters. It's a modern AU, but takes place in a universe where_ Disney Magic_ totally exists.

Anyway, enjoy!

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**Living In A Troubled House**  
- Chapter 1 -

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"Well, the building is certainly…foreboding," Elsa commented as she tugged her roll-along bag behind her. The sound of the small wheels struggling over the cracks in the asphalt crackled behind the tall slender blonde as she walked up.

"I think it's cool," The redhead smiled widely, aquamarine eyes flickering rapidly as she scanned the massive eighteenth century mansion made apartment, "and we're not that far from school, or town." She added while adjusting the strap of the bag slung over her shoulder.

"Wasn't someone supposed to meet us?" The elder sister asked, her eyes scanning the surrounding area; it looked so unnaturally well maintained.

The grass was cut evenly at half an inch tall, not a single stray weed grew up defiantly through the weathered walkway, and there wasn't an inch of rustic fence out of place. The yards surrounding either side of the massive house were expansive, with a large garden to their right, and a greenhouse to their left.

Before them the walkway melted into wooden steps that led up onto a huge front porch (complete with several wooden chairs and a swing). The house's main entrance was a large door, painted an unimaginative eggshell white, with four windows at either side of it. The building was easily four stories, with an inky black shingled roof and dozens of windows (all with the curtains drawn shut, oddly enough).

"I'm sure someone'll meet up with us soon," Anna chimed, clasping her hands together excitedly. Elsa could only roll her eyes and smile, while she slipped her wallet back into her purse.

"I can't believe how expensive that taxi was," The blonde muttered, "I'm sure that guy ripped us off." Anna turned to her sister.

"What? Really? But he seemed so nice," Elsa laughed, shaking her head.

"You think everyone seems nice." Anna pursed her lips.

"That's because, most of the time, they are," She argued, "my average of rightness is higher than wrongness."

"I'm not even sure how to respond to that," Elsa reached into her pocket and tugged out her phone, checking the time. "We're not even late, we're actually on time. What was the person's name who was supposed to meet us?"

"Uhm," Anna reached into her sweater pocket and tugged out a half-crumpled, half-folded, piece of paper. She quickly unfolded it and read it aloud. "Kristoff."

"That'd be me," A tall, muscular blonde man approached them, grinning widely, "sorry I'm late, lost track of time, was out back with Sven." Anna smiled happily and walked over, extending her hand in a friendly gesture.

"That's okay!" She assured, her arm still extended out. Kristoff paused, looked her over, and then accepted her offered hand and shook it. "Who's Sven? A friend of yours?"

"My best friend, actually," Kristoff smiled, looking back over his shoulder as his reindeer companion rounded the house and trotted over to him.

"Is that a moose!?" Elsa stiffened, her temperature dropping as the massive animal approached – living a rather sheltered life, neither her nor her sister had ever seen an animal larger than a random teacup sized dog that one of the many wealthy women would carry around with them when they visited their estate.

"He's a reindeer," The blonde man quickly corrected, "and his name is Sven." The antlered beast walked up and bumped Kristoff's shoulder with his snout. The man turned and smiled. "Yeah, of course I'll introduce you." Anna blinked wide-eyed, and in awe. Unlike her apprehensive and naturally skittish sister, the redhead loved meeting new people, and this included animals.

"Hello Sven!" Anna smiled, walking over and gingerly scratching the reindeer under his chin. Sven made a deep guttural sound of contentment and Kristoff beamed.

"He says he likes you," The redhead smiled widely and turned to the blonde.

"Really? How do you know that?" She asked, her head cocking to the side.

"I can talk to animals," The blonde shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but the wide grin on his face betrayed his attempt at a cool demeanor, "which one of you is the one with powers?" Amber eyes flicked from Anna to Elsa, giving the blonde a once over. "Never mind, I'm going to assume it's you. That'd make you Elsa, right?" Elsa eyed the man unsurely and gave a small nod in affirmation.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I read your guys' files before agreeing to be your peer mentor." Kristoff explained, that same wide crooked grin still on his lips. "We don't have that many kinetics like you around, and I don't think I've ever heard of ice-specific powers like yours."

"Ice, snow, and anything cold," Anna corrected quickly, snatching her hand back and rushing over to Elsa, throwing herself into her sister to hug her tightly. "Elsa's amazing!" The blonde blushed lightly, the reddening of her cheeks extenuating the light dusting of pale freckles over the bridge of her nose.

"Uh huh," Kristoff placed his hands on his sides and looked both girls over again; Anna was slightly shorter than her older sister, so she was able to easily tuck her head under Elsa's chin, which made the blonde grow even redder. "I take it you're not used to PDA, huh? From what I read you guys were pretty sheltered." Elsa's eyes narrowed on the blonde man and he shivered.

"We don't talk about our family or home life, that's rule one if you're going to be our…_peer mentor_." The way Elsa hooked a protective arm around Anna did not go unnoticed by Kristoff, who immediately raised his hands defensively.

"Alright, alright, duly noted," He said quickly, "anything else I should be aware of before you freeze me solid?" Elsa's brow knit and she glared harder, the air around them growing steadily colder.

"Elsa," Anna soothed, untucking her head and placing her hand on Elsa's cheek, turning the older girl's icy blue eyes to meet her own warm aquamarine ones, "be nice. It's alright." The redhead gently stroked her sister's cupped cheek and smiled at her. Elsa visibly softened and the cold wind that'd whipped up suddenly died down and the late summer air returned. Kristoff gave them a moment, eyeing them warily, before clearing his throat.

"Should I show you guys to your room?" He asked, his eyes falling to their bags. "That's all you brought? You sure that's enough stuff? Most of us moved in with boxes." Elsa turned to Kristoff and he stiffened – even if her eyes were softer now, there was an unmistakable harshness behind them.

"One of our housemaids, Gerda, will be dropping off the rest of our things later today." She answered coolly.

"Housemaids," Kristoff repeatedly, staring incredulously.

"Why are you so surprised?" The blonde woman stepped to the side slightly, her arm still around Anna, with her hand drawing small circles absently in the back of her sister's sweater, "you said you read our files, you should know we come from wealth." Kristoff blinked and then raised his hand, raking his fingers through his short messy hair.

"Yeah, yeah," He dismissed, turning and patting Sven, "C'mon, I'll show you guys to your room. You're on the fourth floor." Kristoff walked over and reached for Elsa's bag, lifting it and finding himself jerked back down, unable to move it.

"Rule two: don't touch _our_ things," Elsa hissed, putting her hand around the handle, and thawing the ice that had been around the base of the bag so she could easily move it. "Not my things, nor Anna's." Kristoff stepped back and raised his hands again – he had a feeling he was going to be taking this submissive stance quite a bit around these two.

"How about you just list off these rules now, that way I don't have to stumble into warnings instead." Kristoff muttered, jamming his hands into his pockets.

"There aren't too many more," Elsa adjusted her bag so she could pull it along without unhooking her arm from around her sister's waist, "and I'm a firm believer that you learn from experience. Better to let you learn directly from your mistakes." Anna giggled cutely and hugged her arms around Elsa's waist, nuzzling her sister's neck.

"You're being mean Elsa, he's just trying to be helpful," Kristoff's eyes fell on the shorter girl, and he smiled a bit; she was most definitely the easier of the two to talk to, and she seemed a lot more laid back. Anna whipped her head around and smiled widely at the other blonde. "You'll show us to our room now?"

"Yeah, sure," Kristoff nodded, "you're lucky that almost everyone's out today. We normally run house errands on Saturdays, so most of them are out buying things."

"How many others live with us?" Elsa asked, walking beside Kristoff as he led the girls up to the stairs.

"Uhm, including Sven and me?" The blonde woman wrinkled her nose.

"The moose lives in the house too?" Kristoff scoffed.

"Reindeer," He emended, "and yes, with me, on the first floor. Anyone who has large animals with them has a room on ground level."

"There are other people with animals?" Anna asked, taking the steps in twos.

"Mhmm, another girl, like me, has a pet tiger," Kristoff reach for the doorknob, tossing the door open, and gesturing for the girls to enter first. They did.

"A tiger?" Elsa looked around as they stepped into the foyer, "Is that really safe?" Kristoff walked in after, followed by Sven.

"Is that safe? Asks that woman with ice powers," He shook his head and walked towards the central staircase, at either side of which there was a corridor, which lead into rows of bedroom doors. "Second floor is where the common area is – we've got a couple TVs, some systems set up, a pool table, the works, the third floor has the kitchen area, so you're free to use the microwaves and stoves, but if you're going to put food in the fridges you should label it."

"Okay." Anna smiled, ascending the stairs quickly, heading up to the second floor, which mirrored the first with several bedroom doors, many of which had stickers, posters and signs stuck to them.

"Right over there is the common area," Kristoff pointed into a large room, which had an arched entranceway, and seemed to be one of the only carpeted rooms in the house. The rest seemed to be the original floorboards with old well-worn carpets. "Like I said, open at all hours of the day and night, so don't hesitate to hang out in there if you want. The school supplies a lot of the stuff we have, so just be sure not to break anything. It's a real pain to get replaced."

"I'm sure we'll spend more of our time in our room," Elsa commented dryly, her arms crossed, looking rather unimpressed. Kristoff sighed heavily.

"Shall we continue up?" He walked over to the third floor staircase, looking down at Sven, who stared up from the first floor. "I'll be down soon, buddy, just head back out if you want." The reindeer moaned a sound and then trotted out of sight.

"Sure!" Anna beamed, rocking on the balls of her feet.

"Might as well," Elsa grabbed her bag and began rolling it towards the next set of stairs.

"And that's the kitchen over there, you can also do dishes and we have a cold storage," Kristoff pointed towards the entrance to the kitchen, "but remember that you're sharing with other people, and there are rooms on this level too."

"Kristoff, hi," A lithe young woman rushed over, her short brown hair bobbing as she moved, "I thought you were outside with Sven–" Her round green eyes fell on Anna and she inhaled sharply, a wide smile spreading over her lips. "You must be the new girls!" She practically shouted, throwing herself into Anna's arms, and squeezing the redhead in a tight hug.

"H-Hello!" Anna laughed, returning the hug, albeit with a little less force. "Yes, I'm Anna, and this is my sister Elsa." She turned her head and nodded toward her sibling, who glared back at the brunette.

"This is Rapunzel," Kristoff chuckled, "her room's on this floor, and she's a healer. Can do it by singing." Anna's eyes went wide.

"By singing? That's _amazing_!" The redhead gasped. Rapunzel loosened her grip and stepped back, blushing.

"Well, it's by singing the same one song," The brunette replied, "and I have to make physical contact with the person, though my tears work best." Rapunzel stepped back further and laced her fingers behind her back, eyes falling on Elsa as the older girl walked up and hooked her arm around Anna's shoulders.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Elsa spoke softly. Anna turned her head and frowned, recognizing the underlying malice in her sister's tone. With a gentle nudge of her elbow into Elsa's ribs, Anna mouthed '_be nice_, _please_'. The blonde frowned a bit and then sighed defeatedly, putting on a more genuine smile.

"It's nice to meet you too," Rapunzel beamed, "Elsa is a really beautiful name, what is it?"

"Norwegian," Elsa answered, relaxing a bit thanks to her sister's proximity. Kristoff clapped his hands together.

"Okay, enough introductions, I need to get you girls to your room and go over all of the stuff I'm expected to, so," He turned and smiled to Rapunzel, "let me steal the girls away for now? You can make friends later." The brunette pouted her lower lip and then sighed, reluctantly nodding.

"Alright," She turned her wide emerald eyes to Anna, "let's have dinner together tonight, okay? I'll help introduce you both to everyone."

"Sure," Anna smiled warmly, "that sounds nice." But Elsa frowned.

"Great, come on then," Kristoff headed towards yet another flight of stairs, taking them easily up to the fourth floor. "Okay, so you guys are actually the only ones occupying rooms up on this level." Elsa sighed, happy to hear that, at the very least, they were an entire floor apart from everyone else. "You're in four-o-one, here at the end of the hall, by the massive window." Elsa and Anna followed, Elsa's bag rattling as she tugged it over the carpet. "And here we are," Kristoff tugged a key ring out of his pocket, flipped a few keys, before unhooking two and tossing them to Anna.

The redhead fumbled with the keys, causing them to bounce a number of times, before actually catching them. She smiled sheepishly, turning and handing one of the two keys to Elsa.

"Those are your keys, and you're the only ones that have keys to your room," He pointed at the door, "so don't lose them, and come unlock this for me." Anna scurried over, slipping the key into the lock and unlocking it with a _click_.

Hesitantly, Anna opened the door and peeked inside; the room was fairly large, with two twin sized beds separated by what appeared to be a wooden blanket box. There was a large window between the two beds, which let in a lot of light, and overlooked the left yard. The ceiling was high, and the wallpaper looked old and even tattered in places; Anna's eyes fell to the floor and she traced the wooden floorboards from the doorway to the far wall.

"Are you planning on going in, or just admiring?" Kristoff teased, placing his hand on the door above Anna's head, and pushing it open. The redhead stumbled a bit with a squeak, easily correcting her footing, but having moved enough to enter the room.

"Careful," Elsa growled, her eyes on Kristoff as she passed him forcibly into the room, walking to Anna's side. "You're alright?" The redhead blushed, but nodded, smiling.

"Just startled me, that's all Elsa." The blonde breathed softly and smiled, letting go of her bag to free her hand, brushing some of Anna's bangs out of her face and tucking a few loose strands of hair around her ear.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and assume startling Anna is on the list of no-nos?" Elsa turned a dark glare his way and he breathed. "Yeah, sorry." Elsa stood straight and looked around; her eyes fell on several things – the door the shared washroom; the small fridge on the far wall, resting on a counter next to a sink; a fireplace with a mantle; and a large wooden wardrobe.

"Are these all ours to use?" She asked, her icy gaze falling on a small table with four chairs around it.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, they are. Just, you know, don't break anything." The blonde lifted his wrist and looked down at his watch. "Okay, making good time; let me just run down and get my folders so I can go over some stuff with you guys."

"Sure Kristoff, we'll just get settled," Anna dropped her duffle bag off her shoulder onto the bed to the right, "thanks." The blonde man nodded and turned, exiting the room. Elsa sighed and practically deflated, dropping onto the left bed, staring across at Anna.

"What do you think of this place?" She asked, rolling onto her side and resting her head on the pillow. Anna shrugged her shoulders, tugging out a shirt and folding it.

"It's nice, I miss home though," The redhead admitted softly, "but we're okay so long as we're together." Elsa smiled.

"I think so, yes," Anna turned around and dropped herself onto her bed, sitting upright with her hands in her lap.

"This is a lot to take in at once," Her teal eyes fell on her sister, "for a long time I thought you were the only one with powers, _heh_–weird right?" Elsa shook her head.

"I don't think so; we've been one another's whole world for a long time."

"It's just you and me," Anna sing-songed and smiled.

"What are we gonna do?" Elsa replied softly.

"Well, look over these papers for one," Kristoff smirked, standing in the doorway, waiting for an invitation to enter. Elsa immediately shot back upright, her posture stiff, and her eyes forward.

"Come on in," Anna smiled, standing and walking over to the table, pulling out a chair for herself and sitting down. Elsa sighed and stood, walking over and taking a seat beside Anna.

"Thanks," Kristoff replied, coming up to the table and setting down a folder and tossing it open, while sliding into a seat across the table from the girls, "so, I'm sure you've already read up on the school and whatnot, since I saw you were already registered for classes."

"Mhmm, yep, Elsa read it all and went over it with me." Anna smiled.

"Alright, well, just need to go over a few more things and make sure everything is in order then," Kristoff slipped out a blue coloured paper and set it down in front of the girls, "if you're agreed just sign here."

"What are we signing this for?" Elsa asked, leaning over to read the paper.

"It basically just says that you accept being Anna's charge, and that she accepts taking part responsibility for you and…_your powers_."

"Part responsibility?" The blonde woman raised a brow while she finished the last paragraph.

"Mhmm, because you're her charge, so she's held responsible just as much if you get all ice crazy." Elsa glared, frost creeping across the tabletop slowly, nearing Kristoff who skid his chair back slightly.

"Elsa," Anna touched her hand down on her sister's, cupping it, "It's fine, I accept." Without hesitation the redhead signed the contract, and reluctantly Elsa followed with her own signature.

"Great," Kristoff smiled, pulling out a few more papers and splaying them out in front of the girls, "these are easier – this one is an agreement to repair any damages you might cause," Anna signed first, then Elsa, "and this is a non-disclosure agreement. Most important one, can't live here unless you sign it." Elsa's eyes fell on the paper.

"Non-disclosure of what exactly?"

"NDAs for our safety; you're not allowed to mention to anyone what…_kind of people_ live here. It's just a confidentiality agreement – so we know that you're not about to run out and bring the six o'clock News in here." Anna immediately signed.

"If our secret is safe with you guys, then your secrets are safe with us." The redhead flashed the widest, brightest and most honest smile Kristoff had ever seen, he was certain immediately that she was telling the truth.

"Great," He flicked his amber eyes to Elsa, who gave a nod and signed as well, "and perfect. Thanks girls, I think that's everything." He slipped all the papers back into the folder, tapped it on the table and grinned. "Welcome to the Trouble House, and hopefully you'll enjoy your stay."


	2. Chapter 2: My Element

Hey all! Well here comes chapter two. This turned out WAY longer than I'd expected, but I had fun. It's late here so if there are any mistakes I'll correct them in the morning. Anyway, more characters for you guys - lots of familiar faces (hopefully!). Until next time. 

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**Living In A Troubled House**  
- Chapter 2 -

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Not long after the girls had finished reviewing and signing the remaining papers their _peer mentor_ had brought for them, Kristoff took his leave and the sisters began unpacking their belongings.

Shortly thereafter Gerda arrived, with several large boxes in tow, all of which were carried up the four flights of stairs to the girls' shared room. Throughout the arduous process Elsa sat back passively while Anna bounced on her heels, gesturing wildly while directing and determining (sometimes several times over) where various pieces of furniture were to be placed.

Their twin sofas were moved three times before they settled facing the room's built in fireplace; the girls' individual wardrobes were placed at either side of the girl's beds (while the antique blanket box remained between them, largely because Anna found it quaint and had _demanded_ – more like attempted to assert herself, but faltered and ended up asking politely, practically begging – that their extra blankets be placed inside it immediately); their television was mounted above the fireplace, after Anna had decided she wanted to be able to watch from her bed; and two desks were set out against opposite walls, where their computers were set up.

The whole experience was rather draining for the elder of the two, who, at some point between the TV being mounted on the wall, and her sister excitedly removing her posters from their protective casings, had fallen onto her side on her bed. Anna hadn't even noticed when Elsa's eyes began fluttering closed as she fought off unconsciousness, and certainly wasn't aware when her sister had succumb to it and fallen asleep.

"My word, poor thing is so tuckered out," Gerda smiled, reaching out to brush her fingers through Elsa's loose bangs, which were slicked back and styled as the blonde always wore it. "Hand me one of her blankets."

One of the other handmaids, whom had accompanied the girls' extensive collection of clothes, gave Gerda a soft blue quilt which the portly woman immediately threw over Elsa, tucking her in.

"_Aww_, Elsa," Anna pouted, her lower lip pursed, "we have _dinner plans_, with that nice girl, she's going to be really disappointed if you're asleep."

"Now, now," Gerda turned her head to look over her shoulder at the redhead, who was lying flat on her stomach atop her own bed, "you two had a long trip, and after you insisted coming ahead you should let you sister rest; she was up with crack of dawn making sure she knew the way." Anna lowered her head.

"Sorry Gerda."

"You are forgiven," The woman quickly replied, smiling, "_Oh_ how I'm going to miss you girls while you're away. The mansion will be so… so quiet without–"

"We'll come home for holidays," Anna immediately threw herself up, propping up on her knees, hoping to fend off another fit of emotional tears; she'd already dealt with three sudden crying fits from the older woman at the mention of the girls attending school away from home, and she wanted desperately to stave off another. "And during the summer." She added quickly.

"I know," Gerda frowned a bit and sniffled, "but I've been caring for you girls since you were babies, it's hard to think you're growing up…"

"You know we're not gone forever, and not even _that_ far," Anna smiled, reaching out to cup her hand over one of Gerda's, "you know we'll call if we need anything, and I definitely plan to come visit."

A soft snore from Elsa made both women turn to look at the snoozing blonde.

"And I'm sure Elsa feels the same." Anna giggled.

"Yes, you are right," Gerda breathed, nodding her head solemnly, "but I still intend to miss you both terribly." Anna squeezed her hand over Gerda's.

"I know Gerda, and we'll miss you too." The woman knew that the redhead was speaking earnestly, she was never one to lie, and her eyes would betray her if she did.

"Of course," The brunette woman stood, entwining her hands in front of her and bowing her head respectfully, "we shall take our leave then, Anna dear, and let you get settled." Gerda turned and signalled to the movers to finish up and leave. Diligently, the hands all finished their delivery and all the heavy lifting they were required for, and made their way out of the room. Soon all that was left was Gerda.

"Bye Gerda, and thank you," Anna bowed her head ever so slightly, straightening herself upright and smiling warmly. Gerda knew she was going to miss that smile. "When Elsa wakes up I'll let her know to call you."

"Anna I–" Gerda hiccupped through watery eyes, her tears threatening to fall, "you please remember to call, sometime tonight, I want to make sure you girls are alright."

"I'll call every other night, alright?" Anna walked up, placing her hands on Gerda's shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "We'll be okay Gerda, really." The chubby woman sniffled a bit, raising her handkerchief to her eyes to dab away tears.

"Of course, you're growing into such a responsible young woman," Gerda praised, which made the redhead's heart swell proudly in her chest.

"I have to," Anna replied quickly, "because I need to look after Elsa too, even if she's my big sister."

"You should both be looking out for one another," Gerda corrected gently, "it's important for you two keep one another safe." Anna nodded.

"Yes, that's right."

With another teary hug, Gerda took her leave, and Anna closed the door. When the door met the frame the redhead noticed the locks – three of them, one requiring a key and the remaining two on chains – and cocked her head slightly to the side. "I guess this house really is old, these look ancient." She commented before walking over towards the beds.

She stopped between them, turning to look at her sleeping sister; Elsa was partially curled in on herself, resting on her side, with her arms drawn up to her chest and her legs overlapping. Or so Anna assumed, she could only make out Elsa's shape through the blanket.

"She's too cute," Anna's hand found Elsa's hair and she combed her fingers through the ivory blonde locks, to which Elsa shifted slightly and sighed softly.

"–_Ngh_, Anna?" Elsa's icy blue eyes blinked open blearily, her body stretching in a very catlike manner, as she attempted to stifle a yawn. "It's quiet…where is everyone?" Anna took a seat on the edge of Elsa's bed and smiled down at her sister.

"They left, not too long ago." Elsa frowned.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"Gerda said to let you rest," Anna answered, her fingers still absently raking through her sister's messy-yet-styled hair.

"_Hmpf_," Elsa grumbled softly, "I would have preferred to be woken up to say goodbye."

"I figured, but Gerda's in charge when you're asleep." The younger of the two teased playfully. "Otherwise you're the _all mighty Queen_."

"I rather like the sound of that," Elsa laughed softly, shifting until she was seated upright, stretching her right arm above her head. "So what is the plan now? Finish unpacking? I feel fairly rejuvenated after that nap."

"Sure, lets finish unpacking–"

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK_.

A loud sudden thud of knocks pounded at the door and both girls jumped. Elsa's hands shooting up reflexively, while her fingers twitched and her palms tingled. Anna, on the other hand, jumped to her feet and stared at the door.

"Anna? Elsa? Someone's here who wants to meet you downstairs," Kristoff called through the wooden door, "he's not known for his patience either, so you might want to hurry up." The sisters tossed one another quizzical glances, but nevertheless, Anna walked over to the door and proceeded to open it, locking eyes with the tall blonde man.

"Someone is here to see _us_?" Anna raised a brow, almost hesitant. "What about?"

"He's our personal trainer," Kristoff crossed his arms over his chest and stared back down, "the trainer for everyone in the house, I mean, and like I said…he'll blow his top if you're not downstairs as soon as possible."

"I heard nothing about a _trainer_," Elsa stood and walked over to her sister, standing behind Anna with her arms crossed in front of her. "Forgive me if I'm a bit apprehensive to go meet someone I know nothing about." Kristoff sighed.

'_Oh yeah, she was going to be a difficult one to deal with_.'

"Look, Elsa, I promise it's completely safe. I've known the guy for years, and he's trained all of us in one way or another. He's worldly, you know? He's got a lot to teach." The blonde reasoned, eyes flashing hopefully when Elsa's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Alright, fine," She relented, waving her hand, "take us to meet him." Anna looked back over her shoulder at her sister and smiled widely, which was more than enough to reassure the older sibling, who smiled back sweetly.

"Look at that, you can smile; it looks good on you," Kristoff commented, grinning widely. Elsa's gaze flicked to him and her brow knit as her eyes narrowed, a faint blush colouring her pale cheeks.

"That's a bit forward, don't you think?" Anna's hand slipped into her sister's and she gave Elsa's hand a squeeze.

"C'mon Elsa, we shouldn't keep someone waiting, it's rude."

"Alright, alright," The blonde replied softly, allowing herself to be tugged out of the safety of their room. As she passed through the doorway it felt like passing through the threshold; the room was their place, it had their things and was where they were to stay, and everything outside of it was foreign, strange and possibly dangerous. It made the blonde tense, made her feel on edge, and she had to force herself to focus on her sister's hand joined to her own.

Anna's hand felt warm in her own. It was comforting warmth, which moved up the length of her arm and spread through her body. Elsa had always been one to rely on focus. _Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show_ was a mantra she had used time and again whenever her powers proved too much for her to control.

_Focus, calm yourself, and relax_.

It was a matter of finding a singular thing to train her mind on; sometimes it was as simple as her breathing. It would become her center. Elsa's mind would fixate on the sound, the rising and falling of her chest and the steady filling of air to her lungs. She avoided numerous panic attacks brought on by her anxiety by using this trick.

Lately, however, Anna was her center. She'd focus on her sister's voice, her presence, the warmth she offered. It was so foreign to the cold she had always known, but it was _a good different_, as Anna would say. Another gentle squeeze of her hand drew the blonde out of her deep thoughts and she blinked her eyes.

"C'mon Elsa," Anna coaxed, smiling widely, "Kristoff says we're supposed to meet them around back."

_When had they gotten outside_?

Elsa turned her eyes skywards. Grey clouds were collecting overhead, blocking the sun and making it near impossible to determine the time. The blonde's blue eyes fell back to her sister, who was practically dragging her around the side of the massive house towards the yet to be explored backyard. Elsa zoned out again, her mind wandering.

Thoughts of what she'd allowed herself to be dragged into flashed through her mind. Sure, this had been a recommendation, a rather highly stated one, but ultimately she had to agree for it to happen. It had been an apprehensive decision on the blonde's end.

Part of her, a small nagging voice in the back of her mind, argued that this was, in some way, affirmation of her inhumanness. Something she still was not ready to come to terms with, even after all these years. As supportive as Anna was, Elsa couldn't help still feeling somewhat monstrous in her _abilities_.

Anna stopped suddenly, dead in her tracks, which caused Elsa to bump into her. Quickly, Elsa corrected her footing and released Anna's hand, drawing her arms up around herself as she stared at the back of Anna's head.

"Anna?"

"Wow…he's, uhm…" The redhead trailed off and Elsa followed her sister's gaze, falling on the short gruff looking man before them. He couldn't have stood more than three feet tall, and was rather compact and, for a lack of a better word, _round_.

"A satyr." Elsa stated flatly, eyes wide with disbelief. Icy blue eyes fell on the man's lower half – brown shaggy looking fur covering scrawny hooved legs.

"Well," Anna couldn't tear her eyes away either, "technically I think he's a _faun_, since they're half-man half-goat creatures. Satyrs are a specific group, all male companions of Pan."

"Well aren't we the _bookworm_," The man spat, trotting over to the girls and staring up at them, his arms crossed above his portly belly, "so you're the newbies, huh? Well, let's see what you've got." Anna blinked dumbly.

"What we've got?" The goat man rolled his eyes.

"_Oy_," He groaned, slapping his forehead, "I mean…let's see what you've got!" He repeated, offering no real clarification.

"I think you need to clarify, _Billy goat_, the girls are new here and aren't used to your unique brand of insanity." A sultry voice drawled; the source being a curvy brunette, whom was leaning heavily into a considerably taller, muscular, redheaded man.

"Yeah Phil, isn't it rule number six that a hero should introduce himself?" The coppery haired man added quickly. The faun – named Phil, _apparently _– turned and grunted.

"Alright, fine," He extended his hand out towards Anna, "The name's Philoctetes, but you'll call me Phil." Anna's wide aquamarine eyes flicked to Phil's extended hand and she continued to stare. "What? Don't you know how to shake?" He asked incredulously.

"Oh…–_Oh_!" Anna immediately kneeled down and accepted the handshake, smiling widely, "Sorry! It's very nice to meet you, I'm Anna," The redhead placed her free hand on her chest, and then gestured to Elsa with it, "and this is my sister, Elsa."

"Your charge, right?" Phil asked, withdrawing his hand to step around Anna and walk up to Elsa. The blonde stared back unsurely.

"Yes, I am her charge," She answered softly, "and you are to be our…trainer?" The goatman gave a stiff nod.

"More than likely, but I don't take on just anyone, I need to see potential." He stated flatly, walking back towards the man and woman a few feet away. "Herc here is one of my prize students, and unfortunately goo-goo eyes comes with the package." The brunette rolled her eyes and half groaned, stepping away and walking up to Anna, her hips swaying.

"Megara," She smiled at both girls, "but my friends call me Meg. Wonderboy over there's Hercules, and he's hands off." Anna blinked again, eyes flicking to the boy – Hercules – who shrugged his wide shoulders and smiled sheepishly.

"Hey." He called over.

"Enough with the introductions, I said I wanted to see what you can do," Phil half jumped, stopping his hooves irritably, "I mean it. I'm not training anyone who can't pass a little test." Meg turned on her heels and rolled her eyes again – probably a trait of hers – and sighed heavily.

"Again with your test; it's always tests, and obstacle courses, and swordplay with you," She waved her hand dismissively, "leave the girls be. They're new, let them adjust first."

"No, no way," The faun jabbed a finger in Meg's direction, "you're always gettin' in the way! Herc knows that tests are important, and these two need to pass one for me to even consider them rookies."

"I don't see the harm in one _small_ test," Hercules added softly, wringing his hands out nervously; being caught between Phil and Meg was like a rock and hard place. It was, by no means, a good situation. Earning another eye roll from the brunette, Meg shrugged her shoulders and walked to a nearby fountain, taking a seat on the stone edge.

"Fine, then do proceed, don't let _me_ stop you," Hercules visibly winced; that tone, he was definitely in trouble, and he knew it. Another wave of her hand, and he was dismissed, sent walking over to Phil.

"Great," Phil grinned, turning on his hooves to face the girls, "let's get started then. How fast can you cover the place in snow?" Elsa quirked a brow.

"The building?" Phil snorted.

"No, the area," He gestured out to the woods, looking at her expectantly. The blonde turned to Anna, and her sister reassured her with a small smile and nod.

"It'll be okay Elsa, I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Anna reasoned. Elsa could hardly argue with that; Anna's smile, of course, not the statement; the goat-man could have gotten his credentials out a cereal box for all she knew. Regardless, he was now waiting, hands on his wide hips.

"Alright," In a fluid movement Elsa turned to face the surrounding forest, waving her arms as a cold wind picked up. Through her peripherals Elsa could see Anna clasp her hands together excitedly, her teal eyes wide with the same childlike awe she'd seen thirteen years ago. Anna was entranced by Elsa's magic; there was no doubt of that.

It was not even a matter of minutes before the entire area, as far as could be seen, was coated in a fresh blanket of snow. Phil quirked a brow and then turned to Elsa, giving a slight nod in acknowledgement of her abilities, but he wasn't about to praise her…_yet_.

"Not bad," He turned to Hercules and held a hand out, "you bring what I asked?" The coppery haired boy reached into his sweater pocket, fishing out a blue ribbon, not much longer than a ruler and about as thick. He hurriedly placed it in the faun's hand. "Atta boy," Phil half praised, plastering a wide smile over Hercules' lips.

"Now," The goat man turned, facing Elsa and Anna, "the test is really simple. You two have to keep this," He jut his arm up to wag the ribbon, "away from him," his thumb jabbed backwards over his shoulder at the redheaded man, "for two minutes. Simple, right? Not exactly. Don't underestimate your opponents, or ever overestimate yourself. You get a five minute head start; I'd suggest formulating a plan."

With that, Phil handed the ribbon off to Anna, who fumbled a bit before securing it in her grasp with a wide smile.

"Go on then," Phil's arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh–_right_!" Anna quickly snatched one of Elsa's hands in her own, lurching her sister forwards as she dragged her out into the woods. "Okay, so, we just need to keep this away from that Hercules guy." Anna elaborated aloud, eyes darting every which was as she appeared to be deep in thought.

"Doesn't seem like it'd be that hard," Elsa commented, snatching the ribbon from Anna's hand.

"Hey! I wanted to hold that," The redhead whined, grabbing for the piece of fabric, to which Elsa laughed. "Seriously, Elsa, c'mon," Anna's brow knit irritably and she huffed, her breath fogging out in a puff of smoke. Her gaze falling on her visible breath, teal eyes sparked with an idea, to which she quickly grabbed Elsa's wrists and grinned widely. "I've got an idea!"

Back at the house, however, Phil was growing impatient. He tapped his cloven hoof against lightly frosted grass. Hercules, ever by his trainer's side, stood and waited. Though, occasionally, he did toss a cautionary glance back at the brunette, whom steadfastly avoided his gaze.

"Alright, alright," Phil fumed, "time's up. Let's go get that ribbon back and call this a night." The copper haired man gave a nod and casually walked in the direction he'd seen the girls disappear.

"Are you starting the counter?" He asked, turning his eyes down to Phil, the poor faun needing to half-jog in order to keep up with Hercules' strides.

"Starting…now, go get 'em champ."

"Okay, so I should just–"

"Keep your eyes open!" Phil shouted, pointing through the thicket of the woods, at a pair of auburn braids that bounced as they rushed past. "She's got the ribbon in her hand!" With that Hercules took off like a bullet, bounding over the snow covered bushes out into the small opening where Anna had just been, looking around.

"Where'd she go?" He asked aloud, eyes wandering the dense grove around them.

"Check the snow for–_ngh_, prints!" Phil grunted, tumbling through a particularly dense bush, his fur matting up with twigs and leaves.

"There aren't any," Hercules replied.

"What do you mean there aren't any?" The faun demanded incredulously.

"Like, none," The coppered man replied, pointing down at the snow, where only his own fresh prints could be seen.

"But we saw her…," Phil snorted, shaking the debris off and trotting to Hercules' side; with his dark eyes scanning the surrounding area, a glimpse of foggy breath caught the faun's attention, "oh–oh there she is!" Hercules whirled his head around, spotting Anna moving through the dense brush. Hurriedly, he charged, struggling to get through the narrow space between tree trunks. The deeper between the trees her wormed, the harder it became to move.

"Phil–_ugh_, I'm…I think I'm stuck…" Came Hercules' voice from within the thicket. With a groan and a slap of his palm to his forehead, Phil trotted up and crossed his arms over his rotund belly.

"Kid, use your head, you ain't stuck." He insisted. Hercules struggled for a moment more before remembering that he was plenty capable of getting himself free. With a flex of his arms, he twisted and snapped several thick trunks in two, effectively freeing himself and startling an unsuspecting Anna.

"_Eep_!" She squeaked, having lost her cover, she turned and bolted away towards an open field.

"After her!" Phil shouted, practically bouncing in place. "You've got twenty seconds left!" Kicking his way out from the trees, Hercules leapt into the clearing and raced after Anna. At fifteen seconds he caught up with her, and at thirteen he'd secured the ribbon she was holding, having wrenched it from her hands. The force of the tug had caused the girl to stumble back, falling onto her rump in the snow.

"Hey!" She glared, her lower lip pursed outwards and her freckled cheeks flushed.

"Ey, too bad," Phil waddled over and leaned into Hercules, catching his breath, "you…put up…a good chase. But Herc here won," Anna stared back, her pout shifting into a smug grin. Confused, Phil stood upright and stared her down. "What?"

"That's two minutes up, right?" Anna inquired.

"Yeah," Phil replied unsurely, eyeing the girl warily, "why?"

"'Cause we win!" Anna cheered, clasping hands together excitedly.

"What? No you don't, I…I got the ribbon!" Hercules held out the lacy fabric in his hand, which suddenly dissolved into snow, falling from his hand to the ground. "Huh!? B-But, what?" He stammered, eyes falling to Phil.

"Wait, your sister…, where's your sister?" Phil demanded.

"Over here." Elsa called, sauntering into the clearing, holding the actual ribbon in her hand. "I take it we're the winners?"

"Woah, woah, woah," Phil wagged his hands out in front of him, walking over to meet Elsa half way. "Where were you this whole time?" Elsa looked back over her shoulder.

"There; Anna suggested that I would go unnoticed since my breath isn't visible in the cold." The blonde clarified, offering the ribbon back out to Phil, who quickly snatched it from her hand.

"You two might have won, but you left your sister completely out in the open," Phil admonished while shaking his head. "I stayed right by Herc's side, but you left your sister high and dry." Elsa's brow knit.

"Anna was safe," She insisted, "I made sure of that."

"How could you?" Phil turned, trotting back towards the redhead. "She was completely exposed, running around, while you hid." Elsa balled her fists at her sides, but quickly steeled herself, turning her eyes to her sister.

"If you're sure, then try to get close to her," Elsa replied dryly, watching Anna's expression closely for any sign of discomfort. Phil quirked a brow, shrugged and proceeded to walk towards Anna.

"Not really sure what this is going to–_woah_, hey!" The faun promptly fell backwards, knocked off balance as a massive wall of ice and snow burst up from the ground, creating a protective dome and encasing Anna within it.

"If Anna was in any sort of danger that would immediately happen; we are, after all, standing in my element." Elsa walked past Phil, as Hercules moved to help him stand, touching her hand to the thick wall and dissolving it away. "Anna's safety is my top priority, even above my own, I would not let anyone or anything hurt her." The redhead stood, brushing the snow off her clothes, before throwing herself into Elsa's awaiting arms for a tight hug.

"I guess we underestimated them, huh Phil?" Hercules smiled.

"_Eh_, beginner's luck," Phil snorted, dusting himself off. "We'll see how well you two manage in actual combat."


	3. Chapter 3: Dinner Plans

Hello again my lovely readers. Long time no post. Terribly sorry, just had a busy last couple weeks. _MAIB_ will be getting a new chapter soon, but for now I really wanted to update _LIATH_, especially with some of the confusion brought about by last chapter. Things will slowly be explained and clarified. Just working through establishing everything else. Now, without further ado, enjoy!

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**Living In A Troubled House**  
- Chapter 3 -

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Anna could feel her sister tense at the faun's words, and she turned her head up, blinking worriedly.

Elsa tensed at very few things – physical contact she didn't herself initiate, or physical contact in general, the mention of her powers and anything else that made her equally as uneasy.

"Elsa?" Anna coaxed, stepping back slightly, eyes falling on her sister's blank expression. Well, not blank Anna mused, more like _cold_. Suddenly, the blonde whirled around, turning narrowed eyes on Phil. Her brow knit together into a hard glare, and wind swept drifts of snow up around them.

"I made it abundantly clear that I was not here for anything more than to be certified," Elsa's voice was low, but there was an unmistakable weight to it, "I'm not here to be trained, only tested, and certainly not going to have my abilities honed and weaponized." Anna gripped Elsa's top at her shoulders, digging her fingers into the fabric.

"It's okay Elsa, he just didn't know," The redhead soothed sweetly.

"Oh, I knew," Phil corrected, "I just think it's a dumb choice." The snow beneath Elsa's feet began to freeze, spreading outwards slowly. "You have a gift, kid, you should train yourself to use it. You never know what you're capable of until you get real control–"

"No!" Elsa snapped, a few spears of ice shooting up around them. "I don't need _your_ help, or anyone's help controlling my powers, all I need is Anna. She helps keep me centered." Her voice was seething with anger.

"Looks like she's not doing you any good now," Phil commented dryly, gesturing to the dangerous pikes of ice growing steadily around them, and the thick layer of ice beneath their feet. Anna frowned and moved to speak, but lost her footing and stumbled into Elsa. Acting quickly, the blonde steadied them both and looked worriedly down at her baby sister.

"Anna, are you okay?" She whispered, her voice noticeably softer, almost tentative.

"I'm fine," Anna cast a smile up to her sister, correcting her footing and standing, just slightly below eye level for the older woman, "and you are too." The redhead's warm hands found Elsa's flushed cheeks, cupping them gently and stroking her sister's pale freckled skin with her thumbs. "Just relax, it's okay. You don't have to do anything you don't want."

Elsa breathed, relaxing visibly, as the pillars of ice melted away, along with the ice beneath their feet. Blue eyes stared transfixed on teal, and the snow around them slowly began to dissolve away into nothingness. Both Hercules and Phil watched as the wintery scene returned to late summer, both admittedly impressed.

"Wow," Hercules spoke, "that's really impressive." He turned to Anna and Elsa. "No wonder you guys work so well together." Anna snapped her eyes away from Elsa's gaze, looking past her sister's shoulder at the copper haired man and blushed lightly.

"Well, we really only learned this worked not too long ago, so I'm still trying to get better at it." She admitted shyly.

"I think you're on your way," Hercules praised, walking up to them and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly; "And sorry about knocking you down earlier, no hard feelings?" Anna immediately shook her head, turning to face the other redhead.

"It's no big deal, I fall down _all the time_," She laughed, "so don't worry about it."

"Great," Hercules chuckled with her, turning to Elsa, and smiling widely, "I should apologize to you too…I hope there are no hard feelings between us either?" Elsa turned her head slightly and bowed it politely.

"No one was hurt, so it's alright." She replied softly.

"Yeah," Anna bounced on the balls of her feet, "if you'd actually hurt me then _yeesh_, cause, you know, Elsa's really protective. In case you hadn't noticed." The redheaded man flicked his blue eyes to the blonde once again.

"I noticed," He commented, looking back to Anna, "so you guys are staying on the fourth floor, right? I assume Kristoff showed you around?"

"For the most part, yeah," Anna bobbed her head, "it was quick, but we met a nice girl, Rapunzel?" Hercules crossed his arms over his broad chest and gave a nod.

"Oh, you met Rapunzel? Yeah, she's really nice," He agreed, "have you met anyone else?"

"Besides her, Kristoff, you and Meg? Nope!" Anna answered, looking over at Phil. The faun watched the trio and gave a defeated sigh.

"You're off for the rest of the day kid," He turned, pointing at Hercules, "but I expect you bright and early for training." Hercules gestured his confirmation with a wave of his hand as the goat-man took his leave.

"How about I introduce you to some of the others?" The muscular man offered with a wide smile on his lips. Anna's reply was immediate.

"Yes, of course!" Hercules beamed before turning and walking back towards the house. Anna moved to follow but was stopped when Elsa grabbed her wrist and kept her in place.

"Anna," She murmured softly, eyes flicking from her sister to Hercules and back, "shouldn't we just head back to our room? I think it might be a good idea to see if our locations are listed for classes." The redhead blinked and then smiled.

"It'll be fine Elsa," She reassured, "I doubt he'll keep us long. Then we'll go back to our room." The blonde seemed unconvinced. "Do you want to watch a movie?" Anna asked, trying another route. "We'll watch whatever you want." Elsa bit her lower lip.

"Anything I want?"

"Anything," Anna assured with a wide smiled. "Hercules is just trying to be nice. We should give him a chance." The blonde fidgeted, shifting her weight from side to side, and turning her eyes to the ground.

"I suppose there's no real harm in it–_oof_!"Elsa stumbled a bit, having caught Anna again when the redhead launched herself into her sister's arms, wrapping her up tightly in a warm hug. "A-Anna!"

"It's important for us to try to meet new people," Anna rested her chin on Elsa's shoulder, whispering softly into her sister's ear, making the older woman shiver a bit at the warmth of her sibling's breath, "so I'm proud of you. I know you don't really like…most of this…but I am proud of you for doing it." A faint blush crept over the blonde's cheeks.

"Thank you, Anna," Elsa murmured softly, returning the embrace, her own hands resting on the small of her sister's back.

"Of course," The redhead pulled back slightly and flashed a toothy grin, "now come on, I'm sure Hercules is wondering what's taking us so long!" Anna spun around, latching her hand around Elsa's wrist, and tugging the blonde forward after her. "C'mon, c'mon!" She pleaded, tugging gently, wanting to coax rather than force her sister to follow.

"Alright Anna, alright," Elsa laughed, unable to help it, and the sound made Anna's heart flutter.

"Hey!" Hercules called back, his hand cupping the side of his mouth to amplify his voice. "You guys coming? My cousin just got back, and I want you guys to meet her!" Anna's eyes widened and she whirled her head back around to Elsa, grinning widely. The blonde rolled her eyes, smiling nevertheless, as she gave a nod.

"Alright, lead the way." And with that Elsa was dragged back to the house, finding Hercules waiting for them at the front entrance, with a young woman beside him.

"This is Ariel," Hercules gestured to the girl beside him, who gave a big smile and waved her hand.

"It's nice to meet you Ariel," Anna chirruped, taking the steps leading up to the house in strides, stopping in front of the new girl. Elsa walked up behind Anna, trying to keep from being distracted by the growing number of redheads around her.

The new girl–_Ariel_–stood at about Anna's height, wearing a simple blue top, formfitting with a plunging V-neck, and a teal skirt that reached just past her knees. Elsa's eyes fell to the trinket around Ariel's neck, which bounced as she silently giggled at Anna–a violet shell, on a gold chain.

"–I'm Anna," Elsa turned at her sister's voice. "And this is my sister, Elsa." Anna reached back blindly for Elsa, who smiled and shook her head, stepping up and extending her hand for Anna to find.

"A pleasure," Elsa bowed her head, trying for Anna's sake to be more personable. Ariel waved shyly and mouthed a 'hello'. Anna's head cocked slightly to the side and she blinked.

"She can't talk, not when she's like this," Hercules clarified, "in order for her to have her legs she needs to give up her voice." Anna's mouth formed an 'o', and she turned back to Elsa, who blinked at her and shook her head unsurely.

"What Wonderboy means to say is that his cousin's not from around here," Meg sauntered over to the group, leaning her weight heavily into Hercules' side. "You might say she's from a completely different world."

"_A different world_?" Anna whipped her head back around, eyes falling on Meg.

"Mhmm, Ariel's a mermaid." Hercules placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder. Elsa's immediately eyes flicked to her sister. Anna jumped forwards, grasping Ariel's hands in her own, with her wide teal eyes falling on ocean blue.

"Wow really?!" She practically shook with excitement. "That's SO cool! I would really love to see what you look like sometime! I mean, _erm_–like, to see what you look like as a mermaid! Though, I guess, it's like…the same, but with a fish bottom? I–_uh_–" The freckled girl's eyes jumped between the three shocked faces that practically gawked at her with unreadable expressions. "–well, I'll…just be quiet now." Anna's hands snapped back, falling to her sides while her eyes glued to the ground at her feet. Elsa frowned a bit and stepped forward, placing her hand on Anna's shoulder, while looking to Ariel.

"Anna rambles sometimes, especially when she's excited," The blonde informed, Ariel bobbed her head in silent understanding, "she has always loved fairy tales, and she adores mythology in general. I think the information was just a bit _overwhelming_." Ariel smiled a bit and reached out, taking Anna's hands back in her own and raising them up, giving them a gentle squeeze. Hesitantly, Anna raised her eyes and blinked at the other redhead. The other girl offered a wide sweet smile and Anna couldn't help her own.

"Sorry, Elsa's right, I sort of ramble sometimes," Ariel shook her head dismissively and squeezed Anna's hands again, offering another wide honest smile. "Oh, thanks." Anna blushed, smiling shyly.

"Looks like you've made a friend," Elsa commented with a small laugh.

"I knew you two would get along," Hercules puffed his chest out proudly, which earned him a playful swat from Meg, who rolled her eyes at him.

"Ease up there Wonderboy," She turned, walking into the house, looking back over her shoulder, "are you coming?"

"Oh, _uhm_, yes!" The coppery haired man hurriedly rushed after Meg, turning back at the last second to smile at the trio of girls still standing on the front porch. "We'll see you later then," His eyes fell on Ariel, "and behave yourself, cuz, I don't want to hear that you got these girls into any trouble!" Ariel blinked her eyes innocently and turned her head, scoffing. With a deep laugh the man disappeared into the house after the brunette woman.

"So," A wide grin spread over Anna's lips, "you're a trouble maker? I think we'll get along excellently." Ariel turned back to Anna and matched the wickedness of the smile with her own.

"Oh, Ariel!" A voice called from the driveway, as two young women walked up the gravel pathway. "Who are your new friends?" The first girl made her way up the stairs, lifting her long yellow summer dress as she did. Ariel smiled widely and moved to the first women, wrapping her arms tightly around the slightly taller woman, hugging her, "I missed you too," The long haired brunette laughed softly, turning her chestnut eyes to Anna and Elsa.

"Hello," Anna smiled widely.

"Hello," The brunette bowed her head, "are you two the new girls?"

"Yes," Elsa nodded, stepping up to her sister's side, "I am Elsa, and this is my sister Anna."

"I'm Belle," The brunette replied sweetly, "and this is Mulan," She turned slightly – as much as Ariel's tight embrace would allow – to gesture to the short haired girl standing at the foot of the porch steps. She was clad in denim jeans, a long blank white shirt and a light olive coloured sweater.

"Hey," Mulan waved her hand as she started ascending the stairs, stepping up beside Belle, arms parted and ready to receive Ariel's hug. The silent girl turned and immediately latched to Mulan, hugging her with the same forward affection as she'd shown Belle.

"So," The brunette tucked her high ponytail behind her shoulder and smiled at both Anna and Elsa, as she walked by the girls, the two plastic grocery bags in her arms now easily visible, "do you mind if we head inside? I have some perishables that need to be refrigerated."

"Of course," Elsa gave a small nod of her head and turned, lacing her finger's with Anna's and tugging her younger sister in after her. Anna smiled happily and squeezed Elsa's hand, turning her head to strike up a conversation with Mulan.

"Have you guys lived here long?" Anna inquired.

"I've been here for two years," Mulan smiled, walking between Anna and Ariel, "and Ariel actually just moved in a few weeks ago." Mulan turned to the girl at her left, and Ariel bobbed her head with a smile. "She came because her cousin, Hercules, suggested that she might enjoy attending school here. I mean, this is one of the few schools which has our program available." Anna gave a small nod as the group of girls ascending the staircase towards the third floor, where the kitchen was.

Anna released Elsa's hands as they reached the third floor, watching as her older sister continued into the kitchen, chatting with Belle. A strange feeling washed over the younger girl, her stomach tightening and her heart clenching, but it passed as quickly as it came. She brushed it aside and turned back to Mulan and Ariel, smiling once again.

"Are you and your sister planning on staying in the program for the full four years, or just for two?" Mulan asked curiously, leaning against the banister. Ariel fiddled with the ends of her hair, fingers twining in the ruby red locks. Anna's eyes flicked between both girls and she hummed.

"So far Elsa only wants to do half the half program," The teal eyed girl wrung her hands out, "but I'm not sure…she might change her mind."

"Which of you is the charge?" Mulan cocked her head to the side. _Did everyone know about their situation_? Anna thought, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Elsa is…technically…my charge," Came Anna's soft reply, "but she's the oldest, and I wouldn't want to put her in any kind of situation that makes her uncomfortable." The ebony haired girl nodded understandingly.

"Did you two join the program on your own?" Ariel elbowed Mulan gently in the ribs and shook her head, eyes flashing. "_Ow_, Ariel," Mulan grumbled, "I'm not prying. I'm just curious." Anna smiled appreciatively to the other redhead.

"It's alright, I don't mind," She assured, "and it's a bit of a mixed answer; it was sort of pushed on Elsa. We were told that it was _a good idea_, and _for the best_, so eventually Elsa caved. But we discussed it, for a while, before we agreed." Mulan smiled a bit.

"Sounds like you two are close," She commented.

"Now we are, yeah," Anna smiled fondly, looking off into the distance, "but we weren't always." The strawberry blonde turned back to the other girls. "Do either of you have siblings?"

"I don't," Mulan immediately replied. Ariel, on the other hand, gave an enthusiastic nod. Anna smiled at her.

"How many?" Ariel raised her hands, flashing all five digits of her right hand, and the index finger of her left. "Wow, six siblings? Are they sisters or brothers?" Ariel pointed to herself. Anna blinked. "All sisters?" She guessed, and the other redhead nodded again with a bright smile.

"Anna." Elsa called, walking back out from the kitchen, eyes falling on her younger sister.

"Yes?" Anna turned, immediately rushing to her sister, smiling widely. The blonde blinked down at her sibling and then smiled, reaching out to tussle her sister's hair.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little," Anna admitted shyly, ducking out from under her sister's hand, "why?"

"Watching Belle putting her groceries away reminded me that we haven't eaten since this morning, and I'd be a terrible sister if I didn't remember to feed you." The blonde answered, smiling fondly.

"Aren't we supposed to have dinner with that Rapunzel girl?" Anna asked with her head cocked slightly to the side. As if on cue, Rapunzel came rushing from down the hall, barreling towards them.

"Yes you are!" The pixie cut brunette jogged over, skidding to a stop at Anna and Elsa's sides, bracing her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. "And I'm here." She beamed, albeit weakly while out of breath. Elsa blinked and Anna smiled, turning back over her shoulder to Ariel and Mulan.

"We should all have dinner together," Anna suggested and both Mulan and Ariel cast one another glances before nodding in unison.

"Alright," Mulan answered.

"I know a place we can go," Rapunzel breathed, clutching her chest as she tried to settle while slowly standing upright.

"Great," Anna clasped her hands together and turned back to Elsa, her eyes wide and hopeful, "let's get ready?"

"We'll meet downstairs," Rapunzel smiled, her breathing steadying slowly, "I'm already dressed, but I guess you might want to get changed and grab a few things?" She adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder, looking between the sisters. "So, I'll wait at the front door for you guys." She brushed past Anna, gesturing for Mulan and Ariel to follow, as the three girls descended the staircase.

"C'mon," Anna grabbed Elsa's wrist and tugged, pulling the girl up the remaining flight of stairs and down the hall towards their shared room. The blonde went with her sister easily, smiling down at her sister's hand around her wrist.

"You're really excited to go out to dinner with these girls?" Elsa asked quietly as their door was opened and Anna pulled her inside.

"Well," Her sister released her wrist, "I am. But I'm also really excited for us to have our first dinner here. This is our new home," Anna walked over to her bedside table, grabbing her wallet, "and I want us to be happy here. I think that it'll do us good." Elsa smiled and walked over, wrapping her arms around Anna and pulling the younger girl up against her own body; the blonde's nose buried in her sister's sweet scented strawberry blonde hair, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

"I'll be happy just so long as we stay together," Anna pressed back into Elsa's embrace, "I know I haven't…we haven't been able to see much of one another, but I promise I'll make sure we spend more time together now."

"I know Elsa," Anna's hands slid up to her sister's forearms, giving them a gentle squeeze, "don't blame yourself, okay?"

"It's a little hard not to," Elsa commented, nuzzling her sister's hair, "but I suppose I can try. For you."

"For me," Anna parroted, smiling happily. "You _always_ do everything for me."

"I love you," Elsa's replied softly, to which Anna smiled again and pressed back into her sister further.

"I love you too," Her voice was barely above a whisper, shy and sweet. "But we have to get ready."

"Alright, but you owe me a movie later tonight," Elsa loosened her arms. "And I'll take some cuddles with that as well."


End file.
